Dividing work how they do on TV

By Nicole Zerillo | Special to amNewYork

January 28, 2008

For most New Yorkers, strange sounds and otherworldly drafts are just a part of the high price of living in the city. For the teams of investigators on Sci-Fi Channel's "Ghost Hunters International" and WE tv's "Rescue Mediums," such factors might also indicate the presence of a supernatural squatter, who quite frankly needs to start kicking in half the rent.

The delightfully dotty pair of psychic sisters on the British import "Rescue Mediums" share a laugh and divvy up duties, while the Ghost Hunters are a skilled tag team who openly compare findings and jointly decide their client's bottom-line in haunted houses across Europe. Should you find yourself assigned to a team, these real life ghost-busters offer a good model to work from.

According to Annemarie Segaric, author of "107 Tips for Changing Your Career While Still Paying the Bills," "if a leader is not appointed by rank, find someone to step up to the plate. It's important to have someone keep the group on track, oversee [time lines], and hold people accountable."

Next, make sure everyone on the team shares the same goals for the project. Task assignments and scheduling are less dependable, not to mention extremely difficult to enforce, without some kind of consent. Taking these preliminary steps helps ensure that everyone pitches in and act as a solid reminder that group work is not an excuse to slack off.

It is also essential to develop a timeline, which provides an overview for how and when the project will ultimately be completed. The focus should not be on placing blame for failure to meet the set deadlines, but instead setting goal dates early enough so that the holes can be filled, where necessary.

Segaric said that as a group leader, "if you find yourself with a co-worker who refuses to do their share of the work after repeated discussions, often times it's best not to go to your direct supervisor if you can pick up the slack internally."

If the task requires a special skill set, then reporting is necessary, particularly if the group's work product will be offered to a client or employed throughout the company. Don't complain, simply ask for the kind of help you need and explain why.

However, "If working in teams is not a regular part of your job, and is more of an exercise to create rapport within the workplace, follow the same guidelines, even if it seems unimportant. A week away from your desk isn't so bad."